Video Tape Could Aid Search For Lost Child

SUNRISE — Some were in diapers, others wore high-top sneakers with pink jumbo laces. Some sucked their thumbs. Most stood straight, posing proudly for the camera.

Fifty-two youngsters were ``videoprinted`` this week during the first two of six sessions scheduled for making free videotaped identifications, which will be kept on file at the Broward Sheriff`s Office.

The program is sponsored by Sideo Video in Sunrise, a videotape rental and retail store, which is offering the videotaping service from 4 to 7 p.m. the first three Tuesdays and Wednesdays this month.

``Unfortunately, you need something like this,`` said Meryl Vasquez of Sunrise, whose daughter Rebecca, 3, was the first to walk and turn for the camera. ``With all the cases of missing children, this is an excellent idea,`` Vasquez said.

Harold Witsell of Sunrise stopped to have his 5-year-old son Trey videotaped on the way home from Trey`s haircut.

``We watch him pretty carefully,`` Witsell said. ``But you never can tell -- he might accidentally disappear. If that happened, we would want some way to get him back. After all, he means a lot to us. He`s my main person in the whole world.``

Among the older children to be videotaped were 10-year-old twin sisters Christine and Carol Ann Peranio of Coral Springs.

``It`s good you get to do something like this,`` Carol Ann said. ``When my mother was a kid, they did not have anything like this.``

Most of the children said they enjoyed their minute or so in the spotlight.

``It`s like when you`re on the stage doing your recital,`` said Courtney Lunsford, 7, of Plantation, who wore her favorite turquoise culotte outfit.

Store manager Chuck Feldman and co-owner Dave Weinberg said they were inspired to offer the service after hearing a taped speech by John Walsh of Hollywood, the father of Adam Walsh who was murdered in 1981.

Although the Plantation-based Adam Walsh Child Resource Center is not involved in the videotaping project and the center`s board of directors has not yet discussed the concept of keeping tapes on file with BSO, the center`s exeuctive director and assistant director said videotaped identifications could be helpful in locating a missing child.

``It`s just one more piece of information that would be helpful if a child disappears,`` said Denny Abbott, the center`s executive directer. ``If (the videotaping) is free, I think that sounds like a marvelous idea.``

Sharon McMorris, the center`s assitant director, said she prefers that parents keep the videotapes of their own children.

``We think it`s the parents` responsibility to keep information on their children,`` she said.

Although Sideo Video is providing the videotape cassettes that will be on file with BSO, Feldman said if parents so request, the store will videotape children on the parents` personal tapes.

The videotaping sessions continue from 4 to 7 p.m. March 12, 13, 19 and 20 at Sideo Video, 2780 N. University Drive, Sunrise. For more information call 748-2177.